Plavix, sold in partnership with French drugmaker Sanofi Aventis, had suffered because of a generic launched in August 2006 by Apotex. Although a New York federal judge blocked continued the sale of the cheaper version weeks later, the huge supplies already on the market undermined sales of Plavix through early 2007.

Based on favorable trends, Bristol raised its full-year 2007 earnings forecast to a range of $1.42 to $1.47 per share, excluding special items. It had previously projected $1.35 to $1.45.

The new forecast translates into growth of up to 35 percent from last year, when Plavix sales crumbled under the generic onslaught.

Shares of Bristol-Myers rose late on Wednesday after rival Eli Lilly said it had stopped enrollment in two small trials of its experimental blood-clot preventer prasugrel, which was being tested against Plavix.

Lilly said the suspension of the two trials was unlikely to delay U.S. approval of prasugrel. However, industry analysts said on Thursday that the news had magnified their worries of whether the drug will beat Plavix in a very large Lilly trial, whose results will be unveiled on Nov. 4.